*Bhola Bishwakarma

With no land or property of his own, Bhola depended on daily wage labor to feed his family. As his children grew, so did his worries. Providing food, clothing, and education felt like an impossible task. Like many others from his community, Bhola made the painful decision to migrate to India in search of work. Before leaving, he gave away his ox, chickens, and even his loyal dog to a neighbor. When the dog tried to follow him, Bhola’s heart broke but he had no choice. In Mumbai, India life was harsh. He worked long hours for six years, fell ill, and was left without savings or support. Exhausted and defeated, he returned to Nepal with his family.

What awaited him at home was heartbreaking. His house was damaged, there was little food, and hope felt distant. Yet one sight moved him deeply his dog, weak but faithful, still guarding the house. That moment reminded Bhola that he still had something worth rebuilding.

Around this time, Bhola learned about INF Nepal’s work supporting the poorest families. He joined the Kala Shilla Self-Help Group, where he received entrepreneurship and skill-development training through a partnership between INF Nepal and Narharinath Municipality. During his time in India, Bhola had observed bakery businesses and dreamed of starting one in his own village. Recognizing his determination, the group selected him for specialized bakery training.

After completing one month of intensive training, Bhola received financial support NPR 65,000 from the group’s revolving fund and an additional NPR 50,000 loan from a local cooperative. With this support, he purchased essential bakery equipment and started his own business.

Today, Bhola’s bakery earns NPR 2,500–3,000 per day, with a net profit of NPR 1,000–1,500. This steady income allows him to send his children to school, meet household needs, and live with dignity. More importantly, he no longer needs to leave his family and the community behind in search of work.Bhola now encourages other villagers not to migrate unnecessarily. He believes opportunities exist at home if people are given the right skills and support. His success has inspired others; 14 new entrepreneurs have since emerged in the community.

“I learned that we don’t always need to go abroad to survive,” Bhola says. “If we work together and use what we learn, we can build our future in our own village.” Through Bhola’s journey, INF Nepal’s approach combining skills training, financial access, and community support demonstrates how sustainable livelihoods can transform not only individual lives, but entire communities.

*Name changed for anonymity

In recent years, the effects of climate change have been deeply felt in Maharajgunj Municipality of Kapilvastu District, Nepal. Prolonged droughts, drying water sources, and erratic rainfall have made water increasingly scarce. When the monsoon does arrive, it often brings sudden floods that damage crops, homes, and livelihoods leaving farming communities trapped between drought and disaster.

*Nazir Miya, a resident of Semari Village in Ward No. 9, has witnessed these changes firsthand. “Water has become seasonal,” he explains. “In the past, water was plentiful. Now, by the end of January, most sources dry up completely, and during the rainy season, we live in fear of floods.”

For years, Nazir and other farmers struggled to survive. During dry periods, underground water levels dropped so low that drilling was ineffective and expensive. Many households were forced to rely on shallow borings and tube wells, draining their limited income while still facing uncertainty about irrigation.

Recognizing this growing crisis, INF Nepal, in joint partnership with Maharajgunj Municipality, established a rainwater collection centre in the 2025. INF contributed NPR 235,000, while the municipality invested NPR 1,000,000 to build a sustainable, community-managed solution.

Located centrally among vulnerable communities including Semari, Bhagwanpur, Aurhawa, and Bhanpur the centre spans over six kachhi bighas of land. It captures excess monsoon runoff and stores it for use during the dry season, transforming a once-destructive force into a life-saving resource.

Today, more than 1,000 kachhi bighas of farmland receive reliable irrigation, directly benefiting over 300 households. Farmers are now able to grow paddy and wheat more productively and no longer spend scarce time and money installing and maintaining tube wells. The saved resources are reinvested into farming and other income-generating activities.

For Nazir, the change has been signifiant. “Now we don’t worry about irrigation,” he says with relief. “We get water when we need it. Even when fields nearby are dry, ours receive regular irrigation.”

The collection centre will soon be reinforced with iron outlets to improve water regulation and protect the structure, ensuring long-term use. The municipality has committed to maintaining the facility as a permanent climate adaptation measure for the community.

For families like Nazir’s, this centre is more than infrastructure it is a lifeline. This is how INF is collaborating with local communities and government to create practical, low-cost solutions to climate change. As Nazir puts it, “Hundreds of people like me can now say no to an uncertain future of misery and yes to relief, resilience, and hope for a better life.”

*Name changed for anonymity

Her eldest daughter, now 26, has a severe physical disability and requires constant care. Sumi’s sons were still children when their father passed away. With no income, no livestock, and no savings, Sumi struggled daily to feed her family. They lived in a makeshift shed, spending half the year in a remote cattle shelter high in the hills, where rain leaked through the roof and nights were cold. Without support, Sumi’s daughter endured isolation. There were times when Sumi had to tie her daughter outside while fetching water; walking over an hour to the river returning to find her hungry, soiled, or injured. Despite these hardships, her daughter’s intelligence and potential shone through, waiting for an opportunity to be realized.

In 2024, INF Nepal arrived in Sumi’s village with a resilience and disability inclusion project. The initiative revived the inactive community forest user group and formed a new self-help group (SHG), prioritizing households affected by disability and food insecurity. Sumi and her daughter were selected as members.

INF encouraged direct participation of persons with disabilities in community meetings. To enable her daughter’s involvement, the group decided to hold a meeting at Sumi’s home. That day changed everything. When her daughter realized the group had come to listen to her, she first cried—but then smiled. For Sumi, it was the first time in 20 years she had seen her daughter’s smile, and it gave her a renewed sense of strength and purpose.

Following the visit, Sumi was proposed for an income-generating initiative. She chose goat farming a livelihood she could manage while caring for her daughter. With a revolving fund of NPR 15,000, Sumi bought two hybrid goats. Within a month, one goat gave birth to twins, increasing her herd to four. She also received ten fruit saplings as additional support.This small beginning transformed her life. Sumi now plans to grow her herd, sell goats, replace her leaking thatch roof with corrugated iron sheets, and buy new clothes for her daughter. More importantly, she has regained her dignity and her family’s place in the community.

Today, Sumi’s daughter participates actively in community activities, and their SHG continues to support vulnerable households like theirs. Sumi reflects, “INF Nepal didn’t just support a livelihood. They restored our dignity, resilience, and hope. We are no longer just surviving we are living with purpose.”

This story shows how targeted, and inclusive interventions can transform lives providing not just material support, but also emotional strength, social inclusion, and a sustainable path toward independence.

*Name changed for anonymity

*Babita Budha is 22 years old and lives in Sipa village, Ward No. 7 of Soru Rural Municipality, Mugu. Like many young women in remote Karnali, her life once seemed limited by geography, poverty, and deeply rooted social norms.

Babita completed her higher secondary education (+2) in her own village. Yet, despite her education, opportunities were almost non-existent. There were no local jobs, and as a young woman, she faced constant discouragement. “Our society believed that women were only meant for household work,” she recalls. Women were rarely included in meetings, decision-making spaces, or community committees.

At just 19, Babita was married. Poverty and lack of awareness pushed her parents toward early marriage, seeing it as a way to reduce their financial burden rather than invest further in their daughter’s education. “Only later did I truly understand why so many girls are married early,” Babita reflects. “Now, I feel a responsibility to raise awareness so other girls do not face the same fate.”

When Babita was still in Grade 10, INF Nepal launched its project in her village. Her mother became a member of a Self-Help Group (SHG), and Babita occasionally accompanied her to meetings. Listening quietly from the side, Babita was deeply inspired by discussions on social change, women’s rights, and collective strength.

After her marriage, Babita moved to her husband’s family home. A year later, she gathered the courage to ask her mother-in-law if she could take over the SHG membership. With her support, Babita officially became a member of Karnali SHG at the age of 20 the youngest in the group.

With regular facilitation from INF project staff, Babita began learning leadership, meeting facilitation, and decision-making skills. Over time, her confidence grew. Today, she can independently facilitate SHG meetings without external support.

Women Leading Financial Change

In 2022, members from multiple SHGs came together to form a women-led cooperative to ensure long-term financial sustainability and income generation. They made a bold decision: the cooperative would be exclusively for women.

During the second general assembly, Babita was elected as a member of the cooperative’s leadership team. She now carries dual responsibilities—strengthening the cooperative and continuing her work with the SHG to raise awareness on social and economic issues.

Today, Hamro Milijuli Cooperative stands as a powerful example of women’s collective strength with the Total fund of NPR 3,617,798 with 407 women as shareholders and providing loans to 81 women just last fiscal year. These loans have enabled women to start and grow small businesses such as poultry farming, goat rearing, tailoring, grocery shops, furniture making, and other income-generating activities.

Through her journey, Babita has learned a powerful truth: financial independence is the foundation of women’s empowerment. “When women have access to money and control over financial decisions, they can educate their daughters, delay early marriage, and break cycles of poverty,” she says.

Her dream is to expand cooperative-led income generation, including agriculture-based enterprises, so more women can achieve financial security while staying in their communities.

“I would not be who I am today if INF Nepal had not started this project in our village,” Babita says with gratitude. “INF didn’t just support us they taught us sustainability, leadership, and belief in ourselves.” Today, Babita Budha is no longer a silent observer. She is a leader, an advocate, and a role model for young women across her community a proof that when women are trusted, trained, and supported, they can transform not only their own lives but the future of an entire generation.

*Name changed for anonymity

Before joining a Self-Help Group (SHG), Anju had little knowledge of commercial vegetable farming. Her family depended mainly on unstable daily wages, making it difficult to afford even the basic necessities like food, clothing, and education for her children. She had never heard about off-season vegetable farming or how farming could be turned into a profitable business.

That all began to change when Anju became a member of a Self-Help Group formed by INF Nepal under a project launched in 2023. The project aimed to improve food security, build climate resilience, and strengthen community cooperation in Pachaljharana Rural Municipality. In Bayalagothi, one of the five SHGs was created, comprising poor and marginalized families, people with disabilities, and single women. Anju not only joined but quickly became an active leader, later taking on the role of group facilitator.

Through the project, Anju and other group members received various types of support — seeds, training in commercial and off-season farming, Integrated Pest Management (IPM), organic fertilizer management, goat rearing, and essential infrastructure like irrigation ponds and drinking water supply systems. Anju was selected by her group to run a model farm and received materials such as a plastic house, drip irrigation set, vegetable seeds, plastic drums, sprayers, and traps.

With the training and resources provided, Anju began growing vegetables like cauliflower, cabbage, radish, cucumber, tomato, chili, garlic, onion, beans, pumpkin, and potatoes. She adopted improved agricultural techniques including nursery management, drip irrigation, organic fertilizer use, mulching, intercropping, and planting disease-resistant varieties.

Since Kartik 2081 (November 2024), Anju has earned approximately NPR 35,000 by selling vegetables. The income has allowed her to invest in her children’s education and improve her family’s nutrition. At present, cucumbers flourish in her plastic house while other vegetables thrive in the open fields.

Reflecting on her journey, Anju shares with pride,
“Joining the self-help group changed my life. With the training and support from the project, I now earn between NPR 30,000 to 40,000 every three months. Even with a small piece of land, it’s possible to earn a good income with low investment.”

Anju’s story is a powerful example of how targeted support and community-driven initiatives can transform lives, bringing hope and resilience to families who once lived in constant uncertainty.

Note: The name in this story has been changed.

Picture : Rubi during Counselling Session

*Ruby Rai, a permanent resident of Bhojpur, is married and has a teenage son.

Just a day before her life-changing accident, Ruby traveled to her mother’s home in Sankhuwasabha, a district that takes a full day of road travel to reach from Bhojpur. On the morning of the accident, Ruby, her mother, and her sister-in-law were in the kitchen preparing tea when a massive boulder struck their house. Tragically, the impact killed her mother and sister-in-law instantly. Ruby herself sustained severe injuries to her legs and ribs, leaving her immobile.

It took an hour for the villagers to organize a rescue, and Ruby was carried for three hours on foot to reach a helicopter that transported her to the Armed Police Force (APF) Hospital in Kathmandu. There, she received treatment for her broken ribs and legs over the course of two and a half months. Despite the extensive medical care, Ruby’s Left leg had to be amputated. A doctor at APF Hospital referred Ruby to Green Pastures Hospital (GPH) for artificial limbs. When she arrived at GPH, her physical and psychological condition was dire. The trauma of losing her loved ones and her mobility had left her unable even to grieve properly.

Through several sessions of psychosocial counseling at GPH, Ruby gradually began to rediscover hope and a renewed love for life. She came to understand that artificial limbs could help her regain independence in daily activities and improve her mobility.

Through the GPH medical charity, Ruby received prosthetic legs, which restored her mobility, and several sessions of psychosocial counseling that helped her process her grief and rebuild her confidence.

Ruby expressed her heartfelt gratitude for the transformation in her life, finding strength to move forward.

Nimuka Lepcha, a counselor in Social Service Department at GPH, shares: “We welcome patients and their families, providing individualized counseling that addresses both emotional and psychological needs. Many arrive in distress—grieving, hopeless, and some even suicidal. Our support focuses on nurturing their emotional and social well-being, helping them find strength and hope. Our role is to walk alongside them, offering a space where they can express their pain, process their emotions, and find the strength to rebuild their lives.

One such patient was Ruby. When she arrived, she was not only physically weakened but also deeply traumatized by her loss. Through counseling, we helped her navigate her grief, regain confidence, and embrace the possibilities ahead. Seeing her stand and walk again—not just physically but also emotionally—is a reminder of the resilience that lies within each person when given the right support and care.”

The Social Service Department at GPH plays a pivotal role in addressing the psychosocial needs of patients, particularly those facing challenges related to leprosy, disability, spinal cord injury and other chronic illnesses. By providing counseling, support, and advocacy, the department contributes to improving patients’ overall well-being and quality of life. The department’s efforts in building hope and resilience among patients align with INF’s mission of serving the poor and disadvantaged. While the SSD does not offer highly specialized clinical treatments, the department excels in providing empathetic and personalized support to patients. The focus on active listening and understanding patients’ unique needs differentiates the SSD’s services. The department manages to provide counseling over 100 sessions and charity assistance to 100 individuals per month.

Picture: Rubi with her prosthesis

*Name changed for anonymity

Story Collected by: Nimuka Lepcha

Pic: Hasiram’s Newly Constructed House

His family lived in an old house that had been severely damaged by the earthquake, forcing them to shift to temporary shelter. Amidst the struggle, Hasiram was fortunate to receive some support in the form of maize from the community, which helped them get through the toughest times. In recognition of the need for safer homes in the community, the Ward Disaster Management Committee selected Hasiram’s house based on a set of selection criteria. Soon after, the construction of a model house for his family began. As part of the process, a 7-day mason training was organized, where participants, including Hasiram, learned about building codes and construction norms. They were also involved in supporting the construction work.

Mr. Badri Panta, a local leader, shared, “We, as a ward team, along with technical experts from INF Jajarkot and the local community, have worked together to complete this model house. By completing this project, we gained more understanding of how to construct other homes. With the government’s approval of the detail damage assessment, we are now moving forward with plans to build safer houses. We’ve collaborated closely with the INF Nepal team, and with their external support, we were able to build a safer home for Hasiram’s family. We are proud of our efforts, and we’ll continue to work with all partners to support other vulnerable families in our community.”

Mr. Surendra Rawat, the ward’s technical person, was involved from the very beginning of the project and played an instrumental role in coordinating the construction of the model house. “We followed government building codes meticulously throughout the process,” Mr. Rawat said. “By using Interlock CSEB bricks, we successfully completed the model house and included toilet facilities. This experience has not only provided a safer home for Hasiram’s family but has also allowed us to develop skills among local laborers. After completing the mason training and building this house, we now have a solid foundation to build other houses in our municipality.”

Pic1: Hasiram Kami with his wife Rita BK in his new constructed house. / Pic2: Hasiram’s damaged house and it’s residue after the Jajarkot Earthquake.

Despite the many challenges they face, the ward’s team remains committed to helping vulnerable families. “We have many more families in need,” Mr. Rawat continued. “Our ward has a disaster risk management plan, and we are working to implement all activities related to DRM, WASH, and livelihoods. Coordinating with various supporting partners is crucial for us to restore the lives of families affected by the Jajarkot earthquake.”
INF Nepal, in collaboration with INF UK and PWS&D, has been implementing the Jajarkot earthquake recovery project in Nalagad Municipality, Ward No. 4, since August 2024. Their combined efforts have made a lasting impact, bringing hope and a safer future to families like Hasiram’s.

*Bina Nepali, a Grade 10 student from Syangja District, lives with her family of six. For the past five to six years, she has struggled with persistent ear problems. Due to financial constraints, her condition remained untreated, compelling her to discontinue her education.

Hearing about Green Pastures Hospital’s (GPH) Ear Centre and its Medical Charity Facility for underprivileged patients from a relative, Bina and her family arrived at the hospital with hope. Without delay, the doctors decided to operate on her left ear. An assessment by the Social Services Department determined that Bina was eligible for 100% support.

Following the successful surgery on her left ear, Bina underwent another procedure for her right ear, once again fully supported by the GPH Medical Charity Fund.

Before coming to GPH, Bina felt hopeless. Her hearing impairment had made her a target of humiliation among her peers, leading her to withdraw from social interactions. She avoided school, confined herself to her room, and endured sleepless nights filled with tears and despair.

GPH became a turning point in Bina’s life. Along with medical treatment, she received counseling from the Social Services Department, which instilled positivity and confidence in her. Now, Bina is optimistic about her recovery and determined to resume her studies.

Bina and her mother have expressed gratitude to GPH for its support. Her mother shared how tele-counseling has been particularly impactful.

*Name changed for anonymity

Despite coming from a poor background, Rani had a strong desire to build a better future. With a keen interest in tailoring, she took the step of investing her own savings to attend a training program in Nepalgunj. However, upon completing the training, she faced a major hurdle—a lack of funds to start her tailoring business.

Determined not to give up, Rani reached out to the INF Nepal implemented project SRIJANA-II. Following discussions with community members and the project team, she was selected to receive in-kind support. This assistance, valued at NPR 50,000, provided the essential materials she needed to establish her tailoring shop from a sewing machine, fabric, scissors, measuring tapes, and other essential tailoring materials necessary to set up her shop.

Thanks to this timely support, Rani successfully opened her shop in Gothijeula. While the registration process for the shop is still underway, her business is already making a positive impact on her family’s income as she has been earning a humble income from the tailoring. She shared her heartfelt gratitude, saying, “I am very thankful for the support I received. It has helped me turn my skills into a livelihood.”

Rani’s story highlights the importance of small but meaningful support in transforming lives. With determination and the right assistance, she has taken a step toward financial independence and a better future for her family.

*Name changed for anonymity